I just did the PAL/RPAL weekend with York Region Firearms. Richard and Luis were great. They know their stuff and are very professional. They don't pull punches. You won't waste time covering stuff you don't really need to know, but they will make sure that you are absolutely comfortable with the critical stuff. I was impressed that they made themselves available outside of the "normal" classroom hours for students who wanted to come in early/stay late to practice handling firearms. I had very limited experience prior to the course but definitely felt a lot more comfortable by the end.
Ditto for York Region Firearms Academy (or whatever they're called). That's where I did my rPAL, great folks.
In Ontario the maximum instructor/student ratio is 10:1, unless the instructor adds extra hours to the course for more gun handling. When I run courses out of my home, it's a more intimate setting as the class is limited to ten students. In recent years I usually teach classes of 20 with the help of another instructor in rented facilities. In the smaller classes the instructor will probably remember your name, in the larger classes, probably not. The content of my courses is the same whether it's at home or in a rented facility. I hear stories of some courses being held in good commercial settings, but they're the firearms training equivalent of a puppy mill. For the CFSC in Ontario the FSESO policy is for 10 hours of instruction - which should give every student time to handle each firearm action type about six times. You want instructors who are actually going to supervise the gun handling to make sure you're doing everything properly - not read the paper while a gaggle of students fends for themselves. In Ontario, if the instructor is listed on the FSESO website, he's certified for sure. Anyone claiming to be an instructor who isn't on the list should be able to produce their current FSESO identification (it's policy to have it in the class).
EOSC.ca
Another vote for guns.to (Firearms Academy Canada)
The instructors were great.
Member of NFA, CSSA, CFI, NRA, CPC
Hi,
I'm looking to take the CFSC on a Sunday (or the combined CFSC and CRFSC in 2 consecutive Sundays) somewhere in the GTA, but everywhere I've found so far does it on Saturdays or during weekdays, and only the CRFSC is offered on Sundays.
I have contacted an instructor who said he'd do the course for us if we have a group of at least 6 people, but so far I've just got 1 friend on board.
Does anybody have any lead or wishes to join our group?
Thanks,